Drivers for MySQL 8.x are backward compatible with 5.7, but older drivers may not support newer authentication methods like caching_sha2_password .
💡 For modern development, using a package manager is usually faster than a manual download. How to Install Using Package Managers mysql driver download
Download Connector/C++ if you need a common industry-standard API. Drivers for MySQL 8
In Java, ensure the .jar file is added to your project's Build Path. mysql driver download
Download Connector/Python . It is a self-contained driver that doesn't require MySQL client libraries.
If using MySQL 8+, you may need to update your driver to support the new default password encryption.